Mat McBriar To Undergo Surgery

The Cowboys punter will have an operation to dissolve a cyst in his left leg

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Usually, players bristle at the idea that they’ll require offseason surgery, but this isn’t the case for Dallas Cowboys’ punter Mat McBriar.

McBriar, who struggled for most of the season with some nerve damage in his left (plant) foot, will undergo a procedure to dissolve a cyst just below his left knee. He expects to be back at full strength by next summer, but the reason McBriar is excited to have the surgery extends beyond just football.

“For me that’s great news,” McBriar said, per ESPN Dallas. “Yeah, it’s terrible timing, but this is probably just a little bit more than just being able to play but having a functional foot for the rest of my life.”

McBriar is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March, when the NFL’s free agency period begins. He has been great for Dallas, going to two Pro Bowls in his nine seasons with the team, but his future got a little cloudy with the injury that sent him to the injured reserve just before the season finale at New York.